STROOD SKYLARKS

The skylarks were singing over the fields alongside the Strood seawall on Tuesday 11th. The sound of spring in the sunshine.

One of the skylarks was feeding along the seawall path, before flying back to the field.

Other birds noted during the morning walk included the kingfisher, three buzzards and three shoveler in the channel. 

The wintering blackcap was still at the garden feeders in Firs Chase.

Four red-throated divers and a great northern diver were seen offshore from the Esplanade by Andy Field on Tuesday.

On Monday 10th along the Strood channel, there were 75 black-tailed godwits, 50 knot and 50 dunlin, also a pair of stonechats and a meadow pipit in the fields, two male blackcaps near the caravan park and a female in the Firs Chase garden.

At Maydays farm on Sunday 9th, Steve Entwistle saw a greenshank, pair pintail, golden plover, three pairs of yellowhammer, 18 linnets, meadow pipit, 19 knot, 250 dunlin, 700 brent geese, 25 grey plover, Cetti's warbler and three long-tailed tits.

On Saturday 8th at Maydays farm, there were 3 red kites over Langenhoe, 8 buzzards, 6 marsh harriers, 700 brent geese, 4 greylag geese, golden plover, 300 knot, 400 dunlin, 150 grey plover, 5 red-breasted mergansers, pair of stonechats, rock pipit, pair of yellowhammers, 3 Cetti's warblers and a calling tawny owl in Maydays grove.

Along the Strood on Friday 7th were 500 brent geese, four shoveler, 30 golden plover, 35 black-tailed godwits, 150 knot, also sparrowhawk, two buzzards noted, 15 magpies by Firs Chase caravan park, chiffchaff along the dyke and two linnets.

Some of the 250 knot seen along the Strood channel on Thursday 6th, these ones having a preen by the sluice outfall. Also along the channel were 100 wigeon, 100 teal, shoveler, 44 black-tailed godwits, marsh harrier, two buzzards, stonechat and also a blackcap in the Firs Chase garden.

A male sparrowhawk was photographed by Michael Thorley after he flushed it from his East Mersea garden pond, it then flew to a nearby tree.

A bumblebee photographed by Michael in his garden, showing lots of ectoparasites around its neck.

On Wednesday 5th a male hen harrier flew over Ray Island, also seen during the Strood seawall walk were a marsh harrier, red kite, two buzzards and a raven. A snipe, shoveler, 25 black-tailed godwits, 100 knot and a singing chiffchaff in a tree by the dyke and a second bird near the caravan park.

A very pale falcon was seen flying low and fast over Ray Island in the manner of a merlin. It was striking how sandy-coloured the bird was and presumably showing a type of leucism. After perching for a few minutes it flew off and was last seen flying fast near the Strood causeway.

The pale falcon first perched on these fenceposts - nearly 500 metres distance. This profile looks more like a kestrel or peregrine, rather than the more compact merlin. However a subsequent sighting on a later date of this same pale falcon chasing a skylark, confirmed this bird as a merlin.

Two kingfishers were seen along the Strood seawall on Wednesday, this female perched in a willow tree beside the dyke.

The male shoveler was on the flight-pond by the Strood on Wednesday.

Two great northern divers were seen off Coopers Beach on Wednesday by Steve Entwistle.

The moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on the 8th had a handful of common quaker moths.

Two clouded drab moths also noted.